


Live A Little

by BlackStatic



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Blue is Ace, FeralSoulShipping, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Kidnapping, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Stalking, M/M, Multi, Public Kissing, Recreational Drug Use, SacredHeroesShipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 09:57:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10534119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackStatic/pseuds/BlackStatic
Summary: Black wants to live a little. Gold wants a prize moment. Ruby wants a break and Blue just wants her brother Silver to lighten up.Here's what happens when they all meet in a gay bar in Goldenrod City.Written as part of SacredHeroes Week on tumblr with a little FeralSoul shipping on the side. Contains Gold/Black, Silver/Ruby, Diamond/Pearl and implied Red/Green.May contain grammar and spelling errors.(Edit 28/05/2017: In hindsight the ending is a little rushed and because of this I'm working on a part 2.)





	

“Black, try to behave please.”

His cap covered his face just enough for him to roll his eyes - or so he had hoped. With a sigh, she stirred sugar through her coffee and exchanged glances with Amanda. The pokémon flicked her tongue in disdain, coiling up next to the outside table and taking in the morning scents of the city. Serperior weren’t common here and she didn’t like the attention she was receiving from the sneasel across the street. 

“I’ve always wanted to see Johto,” Black grumbled through a bite of oran berry pancakes. “Can’t you like… _live a little?_ ”

White gave him an icy glare, kicking him under the table as the young man nearly choked on his food. He fired invisible daggers back at her.

“You’re here purely for work. After that little… incident in Lumiose...” Her face turned sour, like her coffee was bitter. “I would hope that our business agreement with Goldenrod Media goes smoothly.”

Black smirked, remembering the hidden alleys of Kalos. The punks who had insulted him were nowhere near as threatening after Tula had strung them up to a lamp post outside Restaurant Le Wow. His boss, however, had fire in her eyes when the PR Studio manager silently stormed off without a word.

Needless to say, maybe he’d had one too many in Rogue Plaza earlier that night.

“I’m serious, Black.” White fidgeted with her X-transceiver as though she were trying to calm herself. “No messing around. You help me sign this deal and then we head straight to Kanto. That’s final.”

“Alright, alright!” He skewered his breakfast with his fork. “Let me at least see some of the night life though! I’ve heard there’s some brilliant clubs in--”

“Black.”

“What?”

“ _Absolutely_ no drinking!”

“...aww _come on_!”

***

Luckily, the rehearsal went perfectly and BW Agency became official co-producers for the Proteam Omega movie. Bo was to play the part of a new antagonist and the emboar looked more than pleased about his growing publicity. White had gone back to her hotel room to sort her paperwork for the release forms and, being in a good mood, had allowed Black some off time to explore the city - on the one condition.

He had already forgotten why he was missing 50 poké from his wallet, or why that girl in the blue shirt looked so pleased with herself as she skipped off, shuffling a deck of cards in her hand. What was her name again? Black slipped his wallet back into his pocket with a grunt of annoyance.

Her brother glanced up from his drink and raised an eyebrow as he saw the girl approaching. Honestly? He just wanted to go home and get some sleep before the night could get any worse.

“Hey Silver, guess what?” Blue smirked, rustling the paper in his face. “Dinner’s on me.”

“Thank Arceus,” he sighed with relief. “ _Someone_ just spent the last of my money.”

A frustrated groan was heard from the back of the room, where a guy in a red jacket angrily kicked at a slot machine. Biting back a chuckle, Blue flicked her hair behind her ear and called out to him.

“Gold! That one’s been faulty since Wednesday, you want the one on the far end!” 

“Oh _now_ you tell me!”

“Sis…” The redhead sipped at a lemonade. “Don’t encourage him.”

Meanwhile, at the front of the bar, Black was feeling the effects of of his drink. He’d lost count of how many, but if he could still form a sentence then he figured it was probably no more than… four? A fifth drink couldn’t hurt. If he put it on credit, maybe White wouldn’t notice how much money was missing… he took out his wallet again, only to find his card wasn’t there. 

Shit. She must have taken it as a safety measure. What a _bitch._

With no money for booze, Black found himself eavesdropping on the various conversations happening around him. A rowdy young drunk in a striped orange top - blonde, all leg and too loud of a voice - was telling a raunchy joke to their friend, a soft-faced teddiursa of a thing wearing a beret. Leggy wasn’t really all that interesting, but the beret dude had a warm smile and a certain air of innocence that was, in a way, kind of cute. Not that Black was ever going to admit it, though. Besides, he looked like he was taken anyway.

It was then that Black snapped himself into a moment of sobriety - this was a gay bar.

Damnit, those thoughts were catching up to him again. At least when he was blind drunk he could regret it in the morning, _after_ he’d slept with someone. Heck, if only he had money for alcohol then he wouldn’t feel so embarassed to be here. But what was up with the girl from earlier? It didn’t look like she’d brought a date with her. Would he be able to get himself out of this situation if he pretended he was her boyfriend? 

_Wait no, you idiot._ He mentally slapped himself. _This venue is LGBT friendly, that wouldn’t work because you’d look even more out of place…_ Black tried to go over all the possibilities in his head but being tipsy, it only caused him to develop a growing headache. _By Zekrom, what have I gotten myself into?_

Moments later, he was distracted by a conversation from a nearby table.

“Oh please, fire stones. Try to lighten up.”

“No.” Silver glared in response. “I can’t believe you both dragged me here.”

“You could be out having fun, man!” Gold went on. “Can’t stay in the closet forever.” 

As his drink arrived, Gold gave a playful wink to the waiter, who blushed heavily behind his glasses before scurrying back to the kitchens. His co-worker gave him an all-knowing look as they walked past. The first waiter glared before turning away, mumbling something under his breath about his customer’s ‘stupid mismatched goggles’.

Silver couldn’t help but stare as the waiter as he walked off. When Blue nudged him in the ribs, he glared like she’d just poked him with a branding iron.

“This might be your idea of fun,” he hissed through his teeth. “But I swear to Lugia I’m going to kill you both later. I am _not_ ready to announce my homosexuality, let alone in the middle of a gay bar.”

“Small problem there.” She covered her face with her hand to stifle her laughter. “You just did.”

“Fuck off.”

“Come on Silv.” Gold groaned, growing annoyed. “Can’t you like... _live a little?_ ”

Something about the guy’s words echoed over and over in Black’s head. Hadn’t he used the exact same sentence on White earlier that morning? Was he really being too anxious? It’s not like anyone knew who he was here - for all Johto cared, he was just another tourist. Maybe he ought to relax and just enjoy himself. 

But without alcohol… he was still tense. What else did people do at bars if they weren’t there to drink or get laid? Desperately trying to find a way to blend in, the man’s eyes came to rest on the pool table in the centre of the room.

 _Well_ , Black shrugged as he pulled himself out of his seat. _At least it’s not gambling._  
He picked up a cue from next to the table and and promptly fell blank. He knew he was supposed to use the stick to sink the balls and that there was something to do with the black one, but truth be told… he had no idea what he was doing. With a sigh, he realised he probably looked like an idiot.

But to Blue, this was a chance to lighten the mood. Grinning mischievously, she nudged a pouting Silver in the ribs. The way he snarled, Gold decided the con artist’s brother wasn’t human. Maybe part Zoroark - that would explain the hair. And the attitude problem.

“Trust me,” she whispered to them both, pointing at Black. “This guy isn’t sober. If Gold and I team up it’ll be a piece of cake.”

“And maybe Silv will get a piece of ass.” Gold ducked to avoid a black eye. “Anyway, I gotta get my win streak back up.”

“Guys.” The redhead rolled his eyes from behind his glass. “You already emptied his wallet. Play fair.”

“So you agree to get up and play?”

“Shut up, Gold, I never said I wanted to--”

“We need four people.” Blue took her brother’s arm and promptly began dragging him across the floor. “Now quit your moping and get over here!”

“I’m feeding you to my Gyarados later!” But reluctant as he was, Silver plodded grumpily towards the table.

***

In all honesty though, Gold kinda felt bad for the guy. Not Silver, obviously - he needed to cheer up or suck a fat one - but rather, the stranger awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as Blue lined up the balls. Gold knew what an unstoppable combination he and Blue were when they worked together and as much as he loved to show off his ego, this guy didn’t deserve to have his ass whooped that badly or deal with the sore loser that was an angry Silver.

And besides, the guy’s ass was too cute to whoop… at least not in that way…. wait, was Gold already fantasising about this guy he’d only just met? _Wow Gold, get your shit together._ Then again… the guy was actually kind of… adorable?

 _Fuck it._ Gold bit his lip and walked to the other side of the table.

“Yo, Blue, you go with the emo.” He began chalking the end of his cue. “I’m helping out the new guy.”

Silver raised an eyebrow but said nothing. 

“Sibling team huh?” She smirked, clapping her brother on the back. Silver flinched. “A’ight. But what about that win streak?”

“C’mon, he can’t be _that_ terrible.” Gold replied with a small laugh, though he didn’t sound all that convinced. “How ‘bout we let him break?”

Black felt himself blushing. That laugh was infectious. _So carefree…_

A few moments passed before Silver grew impatient.

“...Hey uh, Black, was it?” He tapped his fingers rhythmically against the edge of the table. “Your move.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Black snapped back to reality. “Sorry. So uh… how do I break?”

Everyone fell silent. Blue felt a bead of sweat forming on her brow as the Unovan struggled to compose himself. Behind him, Silver glared at her, silently mouthing two words - ‘your fault’. 

“Oookaaayyy then, I’m just gonna go and… grab us all some drinks. Gold, Silv, hold on a sec and I’ll be right back.”

Nobody complained as she excused herself. With a sigh, Gold watched as Silver put down his cue and promptly walked off, deciding the whole thing was too stupid to be worth his time. This left Black and Gold alone at the table. 

Black was embarrassed beyond belief. He’d barely known these people for ten minutes and already he’d made an absolute fool of himself. He turned to leave as well. 

“Whatever. Go have fun without me.”

Gold suddenly grabbed him by the arm. 

The way Black turned away so suddenly had poked a thin needle through Gold’s heart. Shit. He’d pissed him off. The Johtoan tried to play it cool, but he felt the sweat beading on the back of his neck. He didn’t want to see Black’s night get any worse, but he’d probably just ruined it completely. _Okay Gold, you gotta fix this._

Black paused, breath caught in his throat. Was that desperation he saw, or was the alcohol just messing with him? Those warm amber eyes regarded him with such uncertainty though… Was this guy really so sad to see him go?

After a short moment, Gold realised how forward he had been and quickly let go of the man’s sleeve. He tried to move the conversation forward, but the awkwardness carried in his voice.

“So uh… you new around here?”

“Yeah.” Black nodded. “I’m not local, if that’s what you mean.”

“Unova?”

“Mhm, Nuvema.” 

“Huh, never heard of it.”

“Small place.”

A stillness hung in the air as they tried to make make small talk.

“Don’t know how to play, huh?”

“...I’ve never played in my life.”

 _Arceus_ , Gold thought. _This dumbass is freakin’ precious._

“H-hey,” he stammered. “W-well, I mean, uhh… everyone’s gotta start somewhere right?”

“I guess.” Black sighed. “My boss only hired me to keep me out of trouble.”

The remark caught him off guard.

“...your boss?”

“Yeah... she’s a real bitch, actually.”

“Hm? Where do you work?”

“Well it’s kinda complicated.” Black’s voice grew bitter at the thought of her. “Y’see, I--”

Before he could continue, they were cut off by Blue’s return. She set down three drinks on a nearby table - cheri martini, it looked like - and slipped in next to them sipping a fourth.

“Yo. Watcha talkin’ about, boys?”

The two of them clammed up in uncomfortable silence. Blue grinned inwardly to herself - she knew what was happening better than they did. That was when she noticed Silver’s disappearance and quickly felt her mood drop.

“Oh, yeah, Silver walked off after you left.” Gold mumbled, picking up a glass and taking what Black considered a very confident gulp. “Don’t know what’s up with him tonight.”

“Did you see where he went?”

“Nope, thought you were watching him. Black?”

That lighthearted playfulness drained from her as Black shook his head, instantly replaced by anxiety. She did a quick scan over the bar but as more people turned up, Blue couldn’t find her brother anywhere. Suddenly, her martini didn’t seem all that great. 

“By the birds.” She cursed under her breath, setting down the drink. “You know what he’s like.”

“Blue, hey, I’m sor--”

“Gold, look, just…” he could feel her tension. “Stay here. Keep an eye out. I’m going to go look for him, okay?”

Black felt like he was intruding on something private. “Is this guy really that ba--”

But the nervous woman was already gone again. The two guys were once again alone.

Gold slumped against his cue, like he suddenly didn’t have the energy to stand. Staring down into his glass, he sighed before tipping his head back and swallowed the liquor in one gulp.

 _Holy shit_ , Black watched in amazement. _That’s insane. Even I don’t drink like that._

“Dude… you sure that’s a good idea? That stuff is strong.”

“Meh.” Gold shrugged. “I’m kinda beyond caring right now. Anyway, still up for this game?”

Oh, right, the game of pool. Were they still doing that? Black had almost forgotten.

“I dunno, man.” He scratched the back of his leg with his foot. “I’m kinda crap at it.”

“So?” Gold gave a forced smile. “I’ll teach ya.”

***

And that was how Black found himself bent over a table, stick in hand, staring directly into two balls as a drunk guy in a red jacket stood dangerously close behind him. In the middle of a gay bar, no less. 

No matter how he adjusted his hand, he couldn’t get the cue to slide comfortably between his thumb and index finger. As he struggled to take aim of the white ball, his vision would occasionally fuzz out of focus - and this wasn’t helped by his growing alcohol intake. 

“Black.” Gold placed his hand over Black’s and the younger man felt himself blush. “Try to rest it against the solid part of your thumb… on the… bone? Not the fleshy area.”

“Rest what?” 

“Y’know, the sticky ball-hitty thing!” 

He was having trouble concentrating and to be honest, Gold’s drunken slurring wasn’t doing him any favours. The way he tripped over his words was just too pure for this world and honestly? Black loved it.

He also loved the feeling of Gold’s hand against his skin. His fingers were thin and dexterous, his touch light and gentle as it guided the cue into position. Maybe it was the drink doing it, but Black found his shoulders slumping as he sank into the table, suppressing a dreamy sigh.

“Dude.” Gold grumbled, growing impatient. “You need to keep everything locked tight. Your right arm… it’s… what’s the word… limp.”

“Eh?” Black was in a daze.

“Oh for the love of-- okay look, let me show you.”

Truth be told, Gold was still sober enough to pick up on that shaky breath Black had held in only moments ago. He wasn’t going to admit it, but it sent a little shiver down his spine. If he hadn’t just met this guy, the Johto dexholder might have decided to get a little closer or get another, more satisfying noise out of him.

That being said, to adjust Black’s hold of the cue he did have to lean in quite close… and well… he could feel the man’s warmth against him and needless to say…he was thinking about pocketing another set of ba--.

He was snapped out of his daydream when Black suddenly jolted, accidentally sending the butt end of a pool cue directly into Gold’s stomach. 

“Shit, fuck I…” Black stammered, quickly backing away from the table. “I’m drunk, sorry, uh, it’s just that you… are you okay? I didn’t mean to--”

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Gold cut him off, but he was still gritting his teeth through the pain. “Dude. Chill. Look what you did.”

“...what did I do?”  
He pointed at one of the pockets. When Black looked up, desperately trying to slow his heart rate, he noticed that the shot had been surprisingly clean. Even if it was coincidental, he was was impressed with himself.

“Whoa, did I do that?”

“Yeah!” Gold clapped him on the back. “You made the balls touch, man!”

“Whoooo!” Someone in the corner of the room cheered. “Did ya see that, Dia?”

“Sure did, Pearl.” Diamond nodded as his boyfriend raised his glass, sitrus vodka spilling over the side. “It was pretty ballin’ if you ask me.”

“Drove his stick right into them!” 

Pearl slapped his knee, doubled over in drunken hysteria. Behind the bar, the waiter from earlier sighed, polishing a glass and trying to ignore the chaos unfolding.

It took a few moments before Gold realised the joke. Then his drink sprayed everywhere.

Just like that, Black was in stitches.

“Sweet Arceus, your face! When you-- the way you-- holy shit I can’t-- I can’t fucking breathe, h-help.”

The situation was just too ridiculous. Before long they were both on the floor, wheezing for air. Black desperately clawed at the edge of the pool table, trying to pull himself to his feet, but he was too out of it to stand. If Blue was there, she’d be recording the entire thing to send to Red and Green. 

Gold’s leg collided with his knee and they collapsed into a jellied mess on top of each other, screeching in drunken madness before realising how how wrong they must have looked. 

With Black’s elbow pinning him to the floor, Gold found himself staring up into the Unovan’s eyes. He didn’t try to push him off though - instead, he was mesmerised by that rich, coffee-brown gaze. Then he glanced lower to see Black’s lips slightly parted, panting for air.

_Fuck._

For the man on top, time had frozen. The way Gold’s choppy hair flopped messily over one eye, obscuring half of that beautiful, soft face… He felt Gold’s heart racing beneath him, the jerky rise and fall of his chest, the raspiness of his breath only a mere inch away… 

_Oh shit._ Black’s mind tied itself into knots. He began to hyperventilate. _This isn’t happening. I hit my head and passed out. I’m in the ER with alcohol poisoning. I’m not gay and this isn’t real._

“Black…” 

Gold’s voice was a nervous whisper. Needing… wanting… 

_Fuck it._

The way those fingers sunk into his hair, Gold squirming hungrily beneath him, pulling him closer… the taste of the Johtoan’s lips was so intoxicating….

Okay yeah, Black was definitely gay right now. 

***

In the back kitchens, Ruby was was beginning to lose his mind.

Rinse a glass. Take an order. Wipe a table. Rinse an order. Wipe a glass. Take a table. Flip the table.

He could feel the sweat running down his forehead. His back was aching and his hands were sore. Any moment now he was sure his feet would just fall off. He just wanted the shift to end - and quickly.

As he stretched his tired muscles and repositioned the glasses on his face, a hand tapped him on the shoulder and the man jumped out of his skin. He spun around on one foot, coming face to face with his coworker.

Ruby felt she resembled an espeon - wise, elegant and confident, with a gaze that could pierce into your soul. Those fierce eyes were bearing into him with a sharp precision that made his skin crawl.

“What are you doing slacking off?” She punctuated her words like she was loading a gun. “We have three more tequilas lined up.”

“S-sorry Crystal.” Ruby apologised as he rubbed a knot his neck. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Don’t call me that, I hate that name.” She clicked her tongue at him, giving him a sharp smack. “Anyway. I just had to throw two boys out and I’m not in a good mood, so hurry up!”

“Ow!” He hissed like he’d been burnt. “Don’t take it out on me, alright?”

“Just because you’re the new guy doesn’t mean we’ll go soft on you, prettyboy.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean, huh?!” Ruby balled up his fists. “I’ll have you know my father is a gym leader and I can just as easily kick your a--”

“Hey um…Crys?” A voice cut them off. “I could take his shift if you want.” 

Yellow was only a few weeks more experienced than Ruby, but she was already working harder than any of them. Crystal raised an eyebrow and for a moment, the man thought he saw a split second of sympathy for the other girl. Women were weird like that; they spoke through body language and some form of telepathy known only to their kind. There was only one girl Ruby had met who was of a different stock and, well, he wasn’t sure she even counted as human.

Crystal glanced back at the waiter, poisoning him with her eyes before slinking off to wipe down another table. Seeing his exit, Ruby nodded thankfully at Yellow and slipped out discretely. He made a mental note to repay her later.

Ruby paid no mind to the crowd gathered around the pool table, phones out like they had just witnessed the second coming of Mew. Someone by the doors mumbled about the “gayest thing I’ve seen all night”. Whatever had happened, the waiter had missed it and he was probably glad he did.

As he crawled out of the venue into the wet, humid streets of Goldenrod, Ruby took a cautious step over the two drunken suspects - still going at it with the intensity of a league battle - and sat himself down in the gutter, a good distance away. With a heavy sigh, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a box of cigarettes.

As he gratefully inhaled the scent of dried apricorn leaf, something suddenly caught his eye.

Wrapped in a heavy black jacket, damp from the previous rain, the customer from earlier sat hunched under a street light, red hair covering his face. It was a hot night, but he appeared to be shivering as he fidgeted with something in his pale hands.

 _There’s no point._ The words echoed in his head. _There’s no fucking point._

He stared down at his pocket knife. As much as he wanted to, Silver just couldn’t bring himself to do it. What was the point anymore? He’d just upset his sister and look like even more of a failure. 

“Fuck!” He choked back an angry sob and tossed the blade aside. “Why me?”

Ruby couldn’t bear to see anyone in so much pain. Timidly, he sat himself down by the stranger and, not quite knowing what to do, held out a cigarette. Silver looked like a startled animal, eyes wide and bloodshot with tears.

“It’s just apricorn.” He paused to show him the packet. “Nothing illegal, see?”

For a long while Silver didn’t move, just stared. Ruby felt like an idiot. He could grab that knife and attack him any minute. Then, awkwardly, the redhead reached out his hand and accepted the offering.

They sat like that for a moment, neither quite not knowing what to do, until Silver broke the silence.

“Lighter.”

Ruby blinked like he was speaking a foreign language. A wild sentret eyed them from across the street before darting off into a back alley.

“Dude.” Silver hissed again, growing impatient. “You want me to light this with two fucking twigs?”

“Oh, er, of c-course not.” 

As the lighter passed hands, their fingers brushed against each other and Ruby tensed like he had been electrocuted. Silver’s hands were cold, thin, almost skeletal. He wondered how skinny he was under the jacket and his heart broke that little bit more for this poor, troubled soul.

Silver flicked on the flame and stared into it as though it were the only light he had seen all year. He took a heavy puff and passed it back, finally releasing his muscles from their tight hunch as he slumped against the lamp post in a gradual show of defeat.

“...thanks.” He coughed a dry, harsh bark. “I needed that.”

“No problem.” Ruby shuffled awkwardly, not quite sure what to say. “Rough night huh?”

“Yeah…” 

“What was your name, sorry?”

“...Silver.”

“Ruby.”

Their conversation fell silent. Behind them, the sound of the two kissing men began to penetrate the night with lewd, filthy noises. 

“So, Ruby.” Silver finally shook the rain off his jacket. “You have a Hoenn accent.”

“Huh?” Ruby had spaced out, trying not to listen to the homoerotic acts nearby. “What do you mean?”

“What are you doing in Goldenrod?” He continued, ignoring the man’s confusion. “Doesn’t seem like your kind of neighbourhood.”

“Well, err…” 

Ruby hadn’t expected to be put on the spot like this. Honestly, he wasn’t quite sure why he was in Goldenrod himself - or Johto, for that matter. He could have easily gone to Sinnoh, Kalos… heck, even Alola. But there was something about his hometown that he needed to understand and learn in order to come to terms with himself.

“Hoenn’s not all that great.” He finally mumbled, putting out his cigarette. “It’s a wild, untamed place where everything wants to kill you. I needed to get away from that.”

Much to Ruby’s surprise, Silver began to chuckle. A rough, gravelly sound that made him sound three years older than he looked. 

“You came to the wrong place.” A crooked smile crept up the corner of the redhead’s lips. “Johto might look like rainbows and tea houses but believe me, there’s darkness everywhere you look.”

“Really?” Ruby sighed. “Great. That makes me feel _so_ much better about my heritage.”

“You mean you were born here?”

Ruby nodded sadly. “My family moved away for work reasons. I was too young to remember much of anything growing up but I knew I didn’t want to leave.”

“So that’s why you came back, huh.” Silver leaned in, listening intently. “You were homesick.”

“Well, that was part of it. I was actually trying to get away from my family more than anything. Dad was an asshole.”

“Yours too?”

“Mhmm.” Ruby continued. “I was never manly enough for him. He started trying to toughen me up and get me away from my ‘stupid gay beauty contests’ even if I kept telling him over and over again that I didn’t want to battle. And this damn girl… he kept asking me why I wasn’t interested in her, why I broke up with her instead of settling down like a proper boyfriend...”

“Yeah, sucks man.” Silver’s voice seemed to stiffen as he let the man vent. “My sister keeps trying to set me up as well.”

“You haven’t had an ex girlfriend stalk you halfway across the region trying to de-homo you.”

“You haven’t had a creepy old man kidnap you and force you into his cult.”

“Well, I mean, no I ha-- hold on, what?!”  
“That man ruined my life.” Silver inhaled, voice shaking. “And because my dad wasn’t around, he got away with it. Keep your hair short, it’s too bright. Never reveal your name, your name is Silver. You have no face, no identity. You can’t take off that mask. You have to play the role. Fuck that mask! All I ever wanted was to just be me, but it was always the fucking mask! Why can’t I just take the fucking mask off for once in my life!?”

They both fell silent. Even Gold and Black had paused in their half-dressed makeout session. 

Silver turned away as though he’d just offended Arceus. Of course he’d scared this guy off with his oh-so-tragic past. _Way to go, Silv. Why don’t you just go through all your traumas like a fucking shopping list?_

He stared at the knife again, watching the open blade taunt him from only a few feet away. More than anything he wanted to grab that knife and drive it through his chest, but even that would feel numb compared to the stabbing pain he felt now. He had no idea who he was or who he wanted to be anymore, only that he’d poured everything out to a total stranger. The only other person who knew as much was Blue, and he’d run off to leave her in a panic attack.

Ruby felt himself trembling, but it wasn’t from fear. What burned deep inside him was anger.

How dare someone hurt this poor man? This beautiful, hurting man, alone in the street with nobody to share his story to. This person who understood pain and had somehow managed to survive through it. This man, this Silver... 

If he could stand up and keep fighting… so could Ruby.

“I’m sorry.” Silver hastily got to his feet, kicking the knife away. “I should probably get goi--”

“No.”

Ruby grabbed his arm. Silver paused, trying to avoid those crimson eyes. He focused on the quivering lower lip instead - that was easier to process right now.

Until they spoke two words.

“Don’t leave.”

“...Ruby?”

Suddenly, those lips were against his and nothing else in the world mattered. For once in his life, Silver wasn’t alone. He could be Silver and Ruby could finally be Ruby.

From the front doors of the bar, Diamond and Pearl applauded.

Their moment of unity was broken a sharp tug on Ruby’s sleeve. 

“You’re the waiter guy right?” It was Black, eyes wide with panic.“We need a driver.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Silver huffed angrily. “Can’t you see we’re in the middle of--”

“SILVER!” 

Gold raced over, followed by an exhausted and confused - but also very relieved - Blue. 

“Silver!” She hugged the breath out of him. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”

“Now’s not the time!” Black was hyperventilating. “We need a car, RIGHT NOW!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll drive!” Ruby threw his hands up in the air, trying to make sense of the situation. “But why in the name of Arc--”

A woman’s screech of fury rung out from across the street. Pearl took out his phone and began recording.

**_“BLAAAAAAACK!!!”_ **


End file.
